Beginners confusion on NAS devices & HEVC/x265

General Discussions
1

Hi folks,

I began hijacking another thread with this query but thought others as confused as me in the future might benefit from being able to find a dedicated thread, with the kind assistance of those willing to help us.

I call myself a beginner here as although I have been using Plex for years it is only with a setup of (i7) desktop PC -> android app -> chromecast 1 (and only ever one instance at a time), which I now realise has spared me any consideration of processing power/transcoding etc. Consequently I have a library full of high bitrate 1080p x265 files. But I am now needing a storage solution/NAS, and with HEVC/x265 only relatively recently becoming more prevalent not a lot of the ‘beginners guide’ type posts take this into account.

I gather that x265 files require significantly more processing power than 264, and that the NAS compatibility list does not account for this. Accepting that transcoding is sometimes necessary even when you are using a client compatible with your media (e.g subtitles), is the consensus opinion that there are no NAS devices currently on the market that are capable of reliably playing 1080p HEVC/x265 content?

If so, for someone in my position it seems like the decision becomes:

A) Get a cheaper NAS where processing power is not a concern, and use it for storage only. Are there any further considerations for using Plex with this option? (e.g would the NAS need to be directly connected to the PC?)

B) Invest in a high-end NAS capable of running a PMS and e.g transcoding at least one instance of H.264 1080p content. In this scenario, can x265 content still be played using the PC PMS while the content itself is stored on the NAS? Would two servers directed to the same content for their library just show up in a Plex app as 2 ‘locations’?

Any input from those in the know much appreciated.

2

My thoughts are go with A but that depends on your budget.
The NAS would be on the same network as your PMS box

And B . yes the PC can still serve from the NAS.

So you can buy a big nice expensive NAS that may or maynot serve your x265.
AND if it fails use your original PC as the server (again or still) and you now have plenty of storage!!

3

Not sure of your budget - and this is out of the NAS category - but AMD’s new Zen systems may work out very well for a Plex server.

“In three demonstrations—using processor-intensive Handbrake, Blender, and ZBrush benchmarks—the 3.4GHz Summit Ridge (with boosting turned off) either met or exceeded Intel’s 3.2GHz 6900K, which can boost to 3.7GHz. In Blender, AMD’s chip consumed 187.6W under load, while the Core i7 consumed 191.8W.”

Looking at upgrading my Plex system to Server Essentials 2016 - and I am holding off to see how well these work.